I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to orthopedic devices and, in particular, to a device used in the exercising of a knee following injury or surgery, particularly to aid in the rehabilitation process following a total knee replacement.
II. Related Art
The prior art is replete with orthopedic devices for aiding physical therapy related to knee joint exercising following a surgical procedure such as a total knee replacement. For the most part, such devices are complex mechanical structures. One such structure to support and more the lower leg is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,632,480 to Gardner et al. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,652,074 B2 to Doi, there is shown a walking assist device that attaches to the upper and lower portions of a user's leg with a rotary joint located there between. The rotary joint is aligned with the user's knee and an actuator swings the lower link relative to the upper link. A controller is used to control the actuator so that the lower link guides the user's walking motion.
While many of the existing devices have been helpful in various stages of rehabilitation, there remains a definite need for a relatively simple device to interact with the user to help achieve full knee flexion and extension of the recovering knee joint.